Major-league baseball Division series also heating up this week with Rays-Rangers Game 5 on Tuesday night

October 10, 2010|By Kyle Hightower, Orlando Sentinel

The temperature continues to drop outside as autumn settles in across the country. But it's done nothing to decrease the number of options to check out in the sports world this week for television viewers.

The week began with two of the four major-league baseball playoff division series knotted in ties headed into games Sunday night. The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays are first up, with their Game 5 matchup on Tuesday. The college football world has also gotten a lot more interesting with the loss by No. 1 Alabama to South Carolina this past weekend.

Pro football leads this week's list of offerings, but there are some other options for those looking for an alternative to the pigskin. Here is a look at the week's headliners:

The Big event

Oh, what a difference seven days can make in the NFL. This time last week Randy Moss was complaining about the lack of a contract extension, but still actively catching passes from New England's Tom Brady. He's since been traded to Minnesota and reports leaked out that he may have had a confrontation with Brady the week before he was dealt.

Whether it's true or not, when combined with recent rumors that Minnesota QB Brett Favre may be feuding again with coach Brad Childress, you have an interesting setup for their Monday Night Football matchup (8:30 p.m.) against the New York Jets.

TV: ESPN

TUESDAY

The other football

INTERNATIONAL SOCCER: If you're a little tired of American football, then you're in luck as the United States men's national team takes on Colombia in Chester, Penn., Tuesday night (8 p.m.) in a friendly. The U.S. team is coming off a 2-2 tie with Poland. The U.S. has been using a roster of only Americans playing overseas, but will pick up Major League Soccer forwards Heath Pearce and Brek Shea for the Colombia friendly.

TV: ESPN2

Game 5 baseball

BASEBALL: The Tampa Bay Rays have proven over the past handful of seasons that they have a lot of fight in them. That will be on showcase again Tuesday night as the Rays host the Rangers at Tropicana Field in a decisive Game 5 (8:07 p.m.). Texas will put Cliff Lee on the mound and Tampa will go with David Price. Neither will be available to pitch Game 1 of the American League Championship series Friday, so it might be the awaiting New York Yankees who win in this matchup, no matter who comes out victorious in this game.

TV: TBS

WEDNESDAY

More playoff baseball

BASEBALL: The Major League Baseball playoffs continue Wednesday night when Cincinnati travels to Philadelphia (6:07 p.m.) for Game 5 (if necessary) and San Francisco hosts Atlanta (9:37 p.m.), also in a possible Game 5. The Phillies had a 2-0 series lead over the Reds and were looking to close out Sunday. The Braves and Giants were tied at 1-1 entering Sunday night. Atlanta also had the biggest player-related news entering the week that could greatly affect the outcome of a series. Starting pitcher Billy Wagner was replaced by Takashi Saito for the remainder of the Division series against the Giants. Wagner strained an oblique muscle in Friday's 5-4 win to tie the series.

TV: TBS

Rivalry renewal

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The question of whether or not Marshall and UCF are true football rivals depends on whom you ask. But no one can dispute that the former Mid-American Conference foes have had some of the more memorable games since both arrived in Conference USA in 2005. The Thundering Herd won all three matchups between the two as MAC-members. But they haven't beaten a George O'Leary-coached Knights team since both teams made the move from the MAC, including a 21-20 setback last season. UCF (3-2, 1-0 C-USA) needs the win Wednesday (8 p.m.) to maintain some midseason momentum, while Marshall (1-4, 0-1) needs to prove it can still compete with the much-improved Knights program.

TV: ESPN

SATURDAY

Big 12 matchup

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Texas (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) is not having the kind of season that people in Austin have grown accustomed to. But the Longhorns can play spoiler this week for another team's season when they travel to No. 5 Nebraska (5-0, 1-0). Texas has struggled to rush the ball this season (ranked 82nd in the country with an average of 129.8 yards per game) and is looking to avoid its third straight loss. Nebraska has the nation's second-ranked rushing attack (337.6 ypg) and is coming off a 48-13 blowout of Kansas State.

TV: ABC

SUNDAY

Peyton vs. Donovan

PRO FOOTBALL: Washington QB Donovan McNabb came out of his return trip to Philadelphia with a close victory against his former team. Sunday night (8:20 p.m.) he will lead the Redskins against the high-powered offense of the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts rebounded from a last-second loss to Jacksonville two weeks ago with a win over Kansas City. Washington had a little more drama last week and enters coming off an overtime victory over Green Bay.